Garment-supporter.



PATENTED OUT. 31, 1905. A. W. MENSOR, H. GREENBLATT & J. A. PETTA.

GARMENT SUPPORTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20,1904.

ANDREW. a, 01mm 00.. PMOYO-LIIHOGRAFHERS, msmemn. 0v c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM W. MENSOR, HYMAN GREENBLATT, AND JOHN AUGUST PETTA, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON; SAID MENSOR ASSIGNOR TO SAID GREEN- BLATT.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

10 ML whom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, ABRAHAM WV. MENsoR, HYMAN GREENBLATT, and JOHN AUeUsT PETTA, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the city of Seattle, county of King, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in garment-supporters, and has special reference to a device of this class which is especially useful as a substitute for suspender-.

buttons.

The object of our invention is to provide a simplified, inexpensive, and durable garmerit-supporter which shall be self-adjusting to accommodate difierent thicknesses in gripping and consist of but few parts.

The above-mentioned and other desirable objects are attained by the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as disclosed on the accompanying drawings, set forth in this specification, and pointed out in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing like reference characters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a side view of the supporter. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same, taken on line A of Fig. 2 and shown with the jaws closed upon an article of extreme thickness. Fig. 3 is a like section taken on said line and shows by bold lines the jaws open and by broken lines the spring-jaw in closed position, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring-jaw removed.

This invention includes a pair of pivotallyconnected jaws 5 and 6, the former of which is designated as the base-jaw and is preferably suitably formed so as to be stiff and unyielding when placed under pressure in gripping, and the latter is termed the spring-jaw and is formed with a resilient body portion tending to yieldingly press the gripping end inwardly when the supporter is applied.

The base-jaw 5 is preferably formed substantially rectangular and comprises a section of plate metal having marginal portions bent inwardly along the side edges and gripping end to provide a marginal stiffeningrirn, which is preferably serrated at the gripping end of the jaw to form substantially V- shaped teeth, as 7, at the end and side edges of the jaw. These si'de marginal portions are preferably extended above the upper end of the body of the jaw to provide opposite side pieces 8, and a transversely-disposed bar 9 is secured to these side pieces adjacent the upper ends, and a pintle 11 is seated in said pieces adjacent the upper end of the body of the jaw. Swingingly mounted on side pieces 8 is a substantially T-shaped keeper 10, which is pivotally engaged at the ends of the head portion in suitable apertures formed in said side pieces at a suitable distance from bar 9 to cause the free end portion of the stem of the keeper to rest against said bar when the keeper is swung thereto, so when desired to attach the supporter to the suspenders the tug S of the suspenders is passed beneath bar 9 and engaged with the stem or tongue of the keeper and the keeper then swung to bring the stem or tongue against the bar.

The spring-jaw 6 comprises a section of resilient sheet metal and is preferably formed substantially rectangular and of suitable size to fit within jaw 5, and at the gripping end this spring-jaw is provided with V-shaped teeth, as 7 conveniently consisting of inwardly-bent marginal extensions of the section from which the jaw is formed. In the present instance the body of the spring-jaw is formed somewhat longer than the body of the base-jaw, and adjacent the upper end opposite pintle-lugs 12 are conveniently provided on the jaw and preferably consist of inwardly-bent marginal extensions of the sec tion from which the jaw is formed. These lugs project downwardly and are formed with pintle-apertures 12, whereby they are con nected to the pintle 11 of the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of the said jaws than is their point of connection with the spring-jaw.

Reference-numeral 14 indicates a substantially L-shaped lever, which isadapted to operate the spring-jaw for gripping and is provided with stub-pivots 15 at each side of the heel, and these pivots are seated in suitable apertures arranged in the side pieces 8 above the pintle 11 at suitable points to cause the toe of the lever to engage with the body of the spring-jaw, between the base ends of the pintle-lugs thereon, as the stem of the lever is swung toward the base-jaw, and thereby swing the spring-jaw toward the base-jaw at the gripping end to close the jaws. In the present instance the lever 14: is arranged to bring the upper end portion of the spring-jaw substantially parallel with the body of the base-jaw when the foot portion of said lever is substantially at right angles to the said body, and the resilient portion of the body of the spring-jaw is bent inwardly at a point substantiall y over the pintle 11, so that the gripping end thereof will normally lie against the body of the base-jaw.

Seated on the pintle 11 is a coiled spring 16, which is arranged with the end portions extending toward the gripping end of the supporter and yieldingly pressing outwardly against the bodies of said jaws, so as to act to open the supporter. This spring, however, may be dispensed with, as the resiliency of the spring-jaw 6 will cause the jaws of the supporter to open from clasping engagement with an article upon throwing the lever 14: out of engagement with said jaw 6.

By providing the resilient jaw 6 and bending it inwardly the clasping end of the same when closed and not clasping an article will be received by the jaw 5, producing a very compact device, and when closed upon an article the resiliency of the jaw 6 renders the supporter self-adjusting to varying thicknesses in gripping. Furthermore, by connecting the pintle-lugs to the spring-jaw above the point of pivotal connection of the jaws the length of the spring portion of the body of said jaw is increased, and the portions of the jaws of the supporter below the pintle can be come.

spondingly decreased in length, and by arranging the lever so as to act upon the springjaw between the base ends of these lugs, as the supporter is applied, the lugs serve to hold the body of the spring-jaw from springing at the point of application of the lever.

The application and operation of the supporter will be readily understood, as when it is desired to apply the same the lever is adjusted to allow spring 16 to separate the jaws at their gripping ends. The device is then placed in position and the lever operated to force the jaws to close. As the spring-jaw is pressed upon the article the resilient body portion will yield outwardly relatively to the thickness thereof, though at the same time insuring a firm grip, owing to its resilience.

This device is simple and inexpensive of construction, has but few parts, and presents a pleasing appearance, and is especially adapted for supporting one or more garments-as, for example, the trousers alone or the trousers, drawers, and overallsas the resilient body portion of the spring-jaw will yield outwardly in accordance with the thickness of the article or articles as the jaws of the supporter are closed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

1. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a springjaw having a resilient body portion provided with lugs pivotally connected with the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with the spring-jaw, and means to close said jaws.

2. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a spring-jaw having a resilient body portion provided with lugs pivotally connected with the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with the spring-jaw, and means engaging with the spring aw at the base ends of said lugs to close said jaws.

3. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a spring-jaw having a resilient body portion bent inwardly intermediate the ends and provided with lugs adjacent the upper end pivotally connected with the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with the spring-jaw, and means to close said jaws.

4:. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a spring-jaw comprising a section of resilient sheet metal bent inwardly intermediate the ends and provided with opposite lugs adjacent the upper end pivotally connected with the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with said section, and an L-shaped lever engaging with the spring-jaw at the base ends of said lugs to close said jaws.

5. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a pintle mounted thereon, a spring-jaw comprising a section of resilient sheet metal of greater length than the body of the base-jaw and provided with opposite pintle-lugs adjacent the upper end engaged with said pintle at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with said section, and an L-shaped lever mounted on the base-jaw and engaging with the springjaw at the base ends of said lugs to close said jaws.

6. In a garment-supporter, a base-jaw, a spring-jaw comprising a section of resilient sheet metal of greater length than the body of the base-jaw and bent inwardly intermediate the ends and provided with opposite lugs adjacent the upper end pivotally connected with the base-jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said jaws than is their point of connection with said section, and an L-shaped lever mounted on the base-jaw and engaging with the spring-jaw at the base ends of said Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 11th lugs to close said jaws. day of February. 1904.

7. In a garment-supporter, a pair of piv- ABRAHAM W. MENSOR. otally-connected jaws, lugs secured to one jaw HYMAN GREENBLATT. and being pivotally connected with the other JOHN AUGUST PETTA. jaw at a point nearer the gripping ends of said \Vitnesses: jaws than is their point of connection With the C. A. MCKENZIE,

said first-named jaw. W. PARRY SMrrn. 

